Was the Late Dr. Frederic Brandt Hurt By ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ Character?

Dr. Frederic Brandt, a cosmetic surgeon and dermatologist to the stars, was found dead at his Miami home Sunday. According to the New York Post, Brandt was reportedly devastated by some recent publicity, courtesy of Netflix’s The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Martin Short appeared on the series as Dr. Franff, plastic surgeon to Jane Krakowski’s character, and bore a strong resemblance to Brandt.

[Photo Credit: Netflix]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y23dEyGaGlg

But while many were quick to blame the show for the doctor’s death, Brandt’s rep issued a response to the Post:

Brandt’s longtime publicist Jacquie Trachtenberg told us, “The show definitely deeply hurt him, he was being made fun of because of the way he looks.”

“It is mean, and it was bullying. But the show was not the reason for his depression, and it was not the reason he would take his own life.”

Dr. Brandt was an avid user of products and procedures to alter and improve one’s appearance. He told the New York Times, “I’ve been kind of a pioneer in pushing the limits to see how things work and what the look would be. Would I change anything I’ve done? I might not have used as much Botox, because you don’t want to look quite as frozen.” One of his clients, Madonna, said last year, “If I have nice skin, I owe a lot to him.”